Stadhuis te Aalst before 1889

This rendering captures the Stadhuis te Aalst, its imposing façade a study in civic pride. The clock tower commands attention, a symbol of temporal power and orderly governance. Consider the clock – a motif stretching back to antiquity. Initially adorning religious structures, it regulated monastic life. Later, it migrated to civic buildings, its chimes dictating the rhythm of the marketplace and asserting communal time. This temporal assertion echoes in Egyptian obelisks and Roman sundials, each a claim over time’s passage. Yet, time is a devouring force, *tempus edax rerum*. Its presence here elicits a deep-seated awareness of mortality. This tension, between the clock’s promise of order and its implicit reminder of life’s fleeting nature, resonates powerfully. It speaks to our collective, subconscious struggle to reconcile ourselves to time’s relentless march. Thus, the clock tower is not merely a functional element; it is a potent symbol, forever evolving.